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Farm Bill, Food Stamps and Sen. Durbin

Posted on September 21, 2013 by Ted Maguire

Despite the House voting to cut funding to food stamps, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says the fight is not over.

The bill in question, which passed in the House by seven votes, would cut about $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over 10 years. It’s the first time since the 1970s that food stamps haven’t been included in a farm bill, which Durbin says makes it unlikely to pass in the Senate.

“Our farm bill makes sure that the food stamp program…is there for struggling families,” Durbin said. “We don’t want any fraud in the program — nobody does – but cutting the food stamp program for those who are truly deserving and needy is unacceptable.”

The Senate version of the bill would cut $4 billion from the program, but it failed to pass in the House in June. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if the House bill goes into effect, more than 3 million people would be kicked off food stamps next year.